It is never too early to discuss who will be the best player in college basketball heading into the upcoming season. With the current landscape of the sport, anything can happen — but there are plenty of players poised for breakout years and legitimate shots at the Wooden Award. For the last two seasons, a Duke freshman has taken home the trophy: Cooper Flagg and Cam Boozer, back to back.
That raises an obvious question — could Duke do it three years in a row? Five-star freshman Cameron Williams is a dynamic, versatile athlete who will be one of the most watched players in the country from opening night. On the other end of the spectrum, Wisconsin transfer John Blackwell will also be a threat at Duke. Heading into his senior season off a 19.1 PPG campaign in the Big Ten, Blackwell brings the kind of proven production that Wooden Award voters notice.
Beyond Durham, there are several freshmen worth monitoring as well. Tyran Stokes (Kansas), Jordan Smith Jr. (Arkansas), and Caleb Holt (Arizona) are all elite athletes with the scoring ability to make an immediate impact at the college level. It will be exciting to see how these five-star prospects translate their games to the college stage in 2026-27.
When it comes to returning players, three names stand out above the rest. Thomas Haugh is the natural place to start. Coming off a 17.1 PPG and 6.2 RPG season at Florida, Haugh was a potential lottery pick who instead chose to return to Gainesville — where he will be well compensated to play for Todd Golden. Elliot Cadeau is another name to watch closely. Michigan figures to be one of the elite programs in the country again, and Cadeau is one of the central returning pieces of that roster. In his second season with the Wolverines, he will have every opportunity to announce himself on a national stage.
And then there is Cadeau’s good friend who plays in the same state— Jeremy Fears Jr. The Michigan State point guard earned First Team All-Big Ten honors in 2025-26, averaging 15.2 points and 9.4 assists per game. If the Spartans can perform at a high level, Fears will be in the Wooden Award conversation all season long.
Finally, two players that CBB Headquarters would particularly love to see win the award: Tyler Tanner of Vanderbilt and Pryce Sandfort of Nebraska. Tanner averaged 19.5 points per game last season, while Sandfort was not far behind at 18.1. Both earned All-Conference honors in 2025-26, and both delivered when it mattered most — they squared off in the NCAA Tournament, with Sandfort posting 15 points and Tanner erupting for 27, nearly adding three more on a last-second heave that rattled every part of the rim.
With NIL allowing experienced players to extend their college careers, the talent pool at the top of the sport has never been deeper — and the competition for the Wooden Award has never been stiffer. The 2026-27 race is going to be one to watch.
